National Media's Refusal to Cover White Couple's Murder (snopes confirms)

Snopes ^ | May 2007 | Plus Matthew Sheffield

[secretagent]

Here’s the rest of Snopes:

start

Origins: On 6 January 2007, Knoxville, Tennessee, residents Christopher Newsom, Jr., 23, and Channon Christian, 21, went out for a dinner date at a local restaurant, then headed to a friend’s house to watch a movie. They never came back.

When the couple had failed to return by the following morning, their parents notified police. Christopher Newsom’s body was found near some railroad tracks in East Knoxville that afternoon, but Channon Christian remained missing. A trace run on Channon’s cell phone helped authorities locate her abandoned vehicle the next day, and fingerprints raised from an envelope inside the automobile led police to the residence of 25-year-old Lemaricus Devall “Slim” Davidson, where they discovered Channon’s body wrapped in a blanket.

The details of the crime as they emerged in the press were horrific. News account said that carjackers had taken Channon’s vehicle at gunpoint, bound and blindfolded the couple, and transported them to Davidson’s residence. At that location, Christopher was raped (in front of Channon) by multiple assailants, his penis was cut off, he was shot multiple times, his body was set on fire, and, finally, his corpse was taken away and dumped alongside railroad tracks. With Christopher out of the way, the perpetrators next focused their depravity on Channon. Over the ensuing two days, they beat her, gang-raped her, urinated upon her, cut off one of her breasts (while she was still alive), and poured bleach down her throat. As with Christopher, they finished up by shooting her multiple times and setting her body on fire, but instead of dumping her corpse elsewhere, they wrapped it in a blanket and stuffed it into a trash can which was left inside the residence.

(This is the version of the crime initially presented in press accounts. Subsequent reports have contradicted some of the details, chiefly that neither Newsom nor Christian was mutilated as described, that Christian was killed within a day of the kidnapping rather than being held captive for four days, and that cleaning solution was poured into Christian’s mouth post-mortem to eliminate DNA evidence rather than as a form of torture.)

Five suspects have since been arrested and charged with the murders of Christopher Newsom and Channon Christian (and related crimes). Davidson, along with his brother, Letalvis “Rome” Cobbins (24), and George Geovonni “Detroit” Thomas (27), have all been indicted on a total of 46 counts each: 16 counts of felony murder, 2 counts of premeditated murder, 2 counts of especially aggravated robbery, 4 counts of especially aggravated kidnapping, 20 counts of aggravated rape, and 2 counts of theft. Vanessa Coleman (18), has been indicted on a total of 40 counts: 12 counts of felony murder, 1 count of premeditated murder, 1 count of especially aggravated robbery, 4 counts of especially aggravated kidnapping, 20 counts of aggravated rape, and 2 counts of theft. Eric DeWayne “E” Boyd (34) was not indicted and faces federal charges only as an accessory after the fact. All five suspects are currently awaiting trial.

Some commentators (as cited in the example reproduced above) have made much of the fact that the bulk of the news reportage about the Newsom/Christian murders has been local (predominantly in Tennessee, where the crimes took place, and in neighboring Kentucky), while the case has received little or no national coverage by major news outlets — a phenomenon attributed to supposedly biased news media loath to report black-on-white crime. (Both Christian and Newsom were white; all five of the suspects arrested in connection with their killings are black.)

However, the notion that every major news outlet in the U.S. (all of them competitive, profit-making businesses) has conspired to ignore what would otherwise be a compelling national story is rather implausible. A more rational explanation might be found in the sober observation that murders — even decidedly horrific murders — are unfortunately too frequent an occurrence in the U.S. for all of them to garner national attention. The cases that do tend to attract prolonged, nationwide coverage are ones exhibiting a combination of factors (e.g., scandal, mystery, sexual elements, celebrity involvement, shockingly large numbers of deaths, victims who especially elicit sympathy) that make them particularly fascinating and compelling to the public at large, such as the still-unsolved murder of 6-year-old beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey, the mysterious disappearance (and death) of pregnant Laci Peterson, the massacre of 32 students and faculty at Virginia Tech, and the celebrity trial to determine whether actress Lana Clarkson committed suicide or was killed by reclusive record producer Phil Spector.

And, of course, the fact that the victims were white and the (presumed) killer black didn’t stop the O.J. Simpson murder trial from becoming the most media-covered event in the history of jurisprudence.

end

Note: “(This is the version of the crime initially presented in press accounts. Subsequent reports have contradicted some of the details, chiefly that neither Newsom nor Christian was mutilated as described, that Christian was killed within a day of the kidnapping rather than being held captive for four days, and that cleaning solution was poured into Christian’s mouth post-mortem to eliminate DNA evidence rather than as a form of torture.)”

[gondramB]

>>So after 200 replies, we STILL don’t know if the victims were mutilated. We have allegations both ways, and no autopsy reports. Which in itself is suspicious.<<

If the AP and the Washington Times are correct the autopsy is not back but both the U.S. attorney and the defense attorney had enough information to file briefs saying that the blogs were wrong about the mutilation - the US Attorney argued the media coverage did not merit moving the trial.

Defense attorney of course wanted it moved and he wants prior restraint placed on the internet - that might finally make this into a big story — for the wrong reason.

I mainly just hope the killers get the fullest possible justice and that any errors in the blog stories don’t have a wider impact.

And it there was sexual mutilation and they’ve been covering up then I hope the murderers get a little extra juice in the chair and anybody who covered it up gets some legal payback too.

But right now the solid evidence suggests cutting off of penises or breast just a deadly seriously double homicide with rape. Sadly not that unusual for the 17th most desirable city in America that would be ranked higher if they were not 75th in crime.

I’d worried about the media surpassing the story if there had not been 45 local front section stories on it....

All in all, a shitty situation and the best we can hope for is an orderly trial and execution..

[gondramB]

>> But there are police reports who describe what they saw when they found the bodies! If your genitals & breast are missing they just didn't fall off!<<

I have not been able to find credible copies of those reports and the affidavits from lawyers on both sides suggest those reports were not accurate. If it comes out they knew all along about the genital mutilation then there should be heck to pay, not now when we don't have any evidence.

[mowowie]

“I was born and raised in Detroit. I got the hell out as quickly as possible. I visited a few times but I’m never moving back.”

Hey don’t bash Detroit, It’s the only city I know of where you can buy 10 houses for 10 dollars.
http://homes.realtor.com/search/searchresults.aspx?ctid=2959&mxp=2&typ=5

[Grizzled Bear]

LOL!!!

My brother claims the economy of the rest of the country is no better!

[restornu]

What is still disturbing is that after all this time the autopsy has not been released!

[secretagent]

Defense attorney of course wanted it moved and he wants prior restraint placed on the internet - that might finally make this into a big story — for the wrong reason.

The story perhaps should have gone national.

But prior restraint of the internet over the content of a court case? Far more important.

(Sorry, but I wanted to make that point, "for the record")

[mowowie]

Poor guy needs to get out more often. lol

[Grizzled Bear]

Poor guy needs to get out more often. lol

---

He’s a liberal progressive and a card carrying member of the ACLU.

Call me pessimistic but I think he needs a lot more than “getting out.”

[wardaddy]

Read Coloring the News by McGowan.

The MSM is now largely minority (racial and gender etc)...they are covering their own....like some here.

I saw a pic of Brian Williams staff in Vogue.....all women....every one...and some butchy ones....white males are a minority in journalism except for anchors.

why is it not racist when they engage in racial identity defense?

[wardaddy]

Nice post. Your candor about your prespective is refreshing and courageous.

Remind me if I’m ever being an ass to you on one of these type threads...they get pretty heated sometimes and my memory ain’t what it used to be.

[Yaelle]

Thanks, yeah, I was on or started some of the posts back then. I drive by that corner every day and am still shocked such a thing could happen — and because the hatred is probably still there, I assume it could happen again.

I used to believe in a color blind world. I was, and I thought everyone else my age was too. What a fantasy that was. If only.

[Skywalk]

Thank you and you’re welcome :)

I don’t recall if you’ve been one but I will remind you of this day, if it happens in the future.

One thing I’ve never been accused of with regards racial subjects is predictability. I think when it comes to these issues that’s because it’s something closer to the truth.

[restornu]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1939319/posts?page=89#89

VIDEO
http://www.wbaltv.com/news/14843952/detail.html

Must read

Yacub 7 Ali & the New Negro Sun Worship movement to announce nationwide ‘curfew for whites’ - Violaters Receive Skin Cancers -
http://www.progressiveu.org/153947-yacub-7-ali-the-new-negro-sun-worship-movement-to-announce-nationwide-curfew-for-whites-violaters-receive-skin-cancers

black man sets white woman on fire on city bus
http://www.progressiveu.org/095151-black-man-sets-white-woman-on-fire-on-city-bus

NEGRO PROPHET YACUB 7 ALI IMPOSES CURFEW ON KNOXVILLE WHITES: VIOLATERS RECEIVE CARCINOMAS
http://www.digg.com/world_news/Carjacking_murder_Witness_details_Channon_Christian_s_final_hours

There was another site called svengalimedia.com but they seem to have close it and reopen as Sun Worshipers

How valid all this is who knows but it sure seems to make one aware!

National Media’s Refusal to Cover White Couple’s Murder (snopes confirms)Snopes ^| May 2007 | Plus Matthew Sheffield

Another Bus Attack Reported (Baltimore, Maryland) Video and Pics at Link WBAL TV ^ | December 13, 2007
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1940015/posts

[puroresu]

Yeah, that Wichita case would have been covered at a huge level if everyone involved had been white. The fact that it was the violent culmination of a week long murder and attempted murder spree. The rapes. Taking the victims nude out into freezing weather. And the dramatic and miraculous survival of a female victim, who managed to stagger and crawl a mile, nude and wounded, through snow until she reached a farmhouse and was rescued. Those elements are tailor-made for these dramatic crime shows. Greta and Nancy Grace would drool over a case like this under normal circumstances.

But normal circumstances requires the crime to be either non-racial (white on white) or PC racial (white on black). If it had been the latter, the press coverage would have been beyond our imagination, with the racial aspects hyped to the uppermost level. President Bush would have been asked about the crime at his next press conference, and the question would have been whether or not his party's "insensitivity" to minorities might be encouraging such attacks. The 'Rat leadership would have already made such claims and 'Rat presidential contenders would have trekked to Wichita to make the claim.

Had the incident been black on black it might have gotten some press, but not much, and it would have mostly been about the poor conditions in black neighborhoods and how American society has failed to improve conditions for blacks.

But since it was black on white, the press buried it, only giving it tangential coverage months later, which downplayed the racial aspects.

It's the same PC garbage we see on crimes involving homosexuals. We've had the Matthew Sheppard murder rubbed in our face for years. There have been congressional inquiries, massive media "special reports", and even plays and films made about it. But if homosexuals rape and torture a child to death, well, it's just one of those daily local crimes that happen every so often.

Imagine someone walking into a bathroom stall and seeing "I hate whitey" or "honky" written there among all the graffiti. Would that make the national news wires????? Of course not, nor should it, but if equivalent slurs were written about blacks, we'd see a report the next day with a lurid headline: "Racist graffiti sends shock wave through community". We'd be told that similar graffiti was spotted a month ago somewhere else, so a "national pattern" was emerging. Even if it was revealed that blacks themselves wrote the slurs, the press would still cover the next such case with the same fervor and seriousness.

Why people have the audacity to deny this media bias is beyond me.

[Plains Drifter]

Amen

[Unicorn]

BTTT

[rootntootn]

What’s even worse about this sad tale from Knoxville, TN (where I live) is that when a Victim’s rights group came to Knoxville to protest the lamestream media’s news blackout on this story the group was painted in the local POS newspaper as a modern day Klu Klux Klan. Local liberals protested their properly permitted march in support of the victims and hurled the typical liberal hatemongering names at them (Nazis, klan, etc.)
A similar episode occurred several years back in Kansas (I think) where whites were murdered gangland style by a group of black thugs while they chanted slogans like “kill whitey” but it was deemed by the intelligentsia to not be a hate crime.
The bottom line is that liberals believe that only whites can be racist. That anything a black does can not be racist, by definition.

[Constantine XIII]

Well, that pretty much says it all, doesn’t it? ;)

[Constantine XIII]

The Hal Turner Show:

http://www.halturnershow.com/host.htm

This goober is one of the organizers of that, ahem, “victim’s rights group” that came to Knoxville. Not only is he a nazi, he’s a self-admitted 9/11 truther.

Do you really want to be associated with these people?